Photographic developing apparatus.



.0. D. WALDRON. PHOTOGRAPHIG DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED APR.27, 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909. 2 QHBETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTO/f CHA R15: IDIEuDc suvg 'wALnnoN WITNESSES BY viziozw ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

G. D. WALDRON. PHOTOGRAPHIG DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED APR.27, 1908.

WITNESSES INVENTOR CIMRLES JIEuJipuus WALDRQN ATTORNEY THE NORRIS PETERS co" WASHINGTGN, n. c.

nivir CHARLES DIEUDONNE WALDRON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES DIEUDONNI J lVALnRoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, (whose postoifice address is 209 est Forty-second street, in the said borough, city, county, and State of New York,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Developing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an ample, efficientand inexpensive apparatus by means of which exposed photographic plates may be developed and fixed by daylight or artificial light, without at any time exposing the plate to actinic light, in a more convenient and expeditious manner than is possible by means of the devices which are at present known in the art.

The great advantages of my invention consist of simplicity of construction and operation, ease in handling and cleansing, perfect safety in carrying, compactness, means by which various sized photographic plates can be developed, facilities for removing the holder and plate from thedeveloping tank in daylight without removing the developing solution and thereby permitplate for immediate development and the impossibility of injury to the sensitive surface of exposed plates during development.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices and parts, all of which are hereinafter particularly described and which are shown on the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the dotted line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. .t is a vertical sectional view of the plate holder, showing a contained plate and the usual slides in dotted lines.

In carrying. my invention into effect I may provide an outer casing 7, substantially rec tangular in shape, on the upper side of which is a lid or cover 8, provided with a downwardly extendingfiange 28, adapted to extend over and engage with a correspond ing upwardly extending flange 29, secured to the top of the casing 7. Beneath this lid or cover 8, and securely held in place by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1903.

Patented June .29, 19 9.

Serial No. 429,489.

suitable recesses or grooves (best shown in Fig. 8), are two sheets of non-actinic glass or other suitable material. These are designated in the drawings by 9 and 10; I prefer to make the plate 9 of red glass and the plate 10 of orange glass, but I do not limit myself to this particular arrangement, as it will be obvious that any number of plates of any suitable non-actinic character may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

The right hand end of the casing (see Fig. 3) is somewhat enlarged and is pro vided with steps or shoulders 37 and 38, outside of which is a rectangular band or collar 35, shown in section in Fig. 3. This band or collar is preferably composed of soft rubber or similar material, and removable to permit of ready cleansing.

At one end of the casing T is located a hinged lid or cover 20, provided with a hook or catch 21, which engages with the stud 22, for the purpose of holding the lid or cover securely closed when desired. Inside of the lid or cover 20, is a removable place of soft rubber or other suitable material, adapted to make the closure liquid tight and light proof. it the other end of the casing T, is located a hinged lid or cover 11, similar ting the insertion of another holder and to the one just described and secured and made liquid tight and light proof in a similar way, but being essentially different from the first described lid or cover in that it is provided with a device for permitting the passage into and the escape from the apparatus, of the developing and other fluids, and at the same time preventing the admission of light. This device comprises a flat tened tube 13 bent or convoluted upon itself so as to form a zig-zag passage adapted to permit the flow of liquids but to prevent the admission of light. This tube 13, terminates at the outer end in a cylindrical nipple 15, screw threaded to receive a correspondingly screw threaded cap let. An air-vent 30, similarly convoluted, is provided for the passage of air to or from the inside of the apparatus. A plate holder 17, is also provided, adapted to hold a plate 24-, which is shown as lying, sensitive side up, upon the lower slide 25. The flange or shoulder 27 prevents the sensitive surface of the plate from any contact with the upper slide These two slides are of the usual form and protect the plate from exposure to light.

Spring-controlled catches 26 are located in recesses as shown in Fig. 4c, which assist by frictional pressure upon the slides in holding the same in place when inserted and which act as light guards when the slides are with drawn. The plate holder 17 is adapted to be inserted into the casing 7, and when so inserted and the lid or cover 20 securely closed, the slide holder is held firmly in place. The outer end of the plate-holder 17 is enlarged and shaped to corres nd to the inside of the corresponding enc of the casing 7 and to the band or collar 35; When the plateholder is inserted into the casing and the lid or cover 20 closed and fastened, the plateholder is firmly held, and is supported out of contact with the top and bottom of the casing so .as to permit the free flow of developing or other fluid around it.

36 is a leg or support, pivotally secured to the casing 7 and adapted to hold the same level when laid down upon a table or similar support.

The operation of my invention is as follows: An exposed photographic plate having been removed from the camera is placed in the plate holder 17, the same being held up-side-down, or in the reverse position to that shown in Fig. l. The exposed plate is put into the plate holder with its sensitive side downward,- and the edges of the plate are supported by the flange or shoulder 27,

without injuring the sensitive surface. The 1 two slides 25 may then be inserted in order to protect the plate from light; The above operations must of course be performed in a dark-room or under some other circumstances which will prevent the action of light upon the plate. The plate holder 17 with its contained plate 24; is then placed in the developing apparatus through the opening at the right hand end in Fig. 3, slide 25 which is between the plate and the side opening of the apparatus withdrawn, and the cover 20 is then shut and securely fastened. The apparatus may then be held in a vertical position, the lid 20 being downward. Developing solution may then be poured in through the opening at the other end of the apparatus and the cover or lid 11 then closed and securely fastened. The apparatus is then placed in a horizontal position upon a table or other suitable support, the leg 36 being swung downward so as to hold the apparatus level.

The developer which has been poured in the apparatus as above mentioned will find its way into the middle part of the plate holder 17 and will begin to act upon the sensitive surface of the previously exposed plate 24:. This operation can be continuously observed by looking through the opening in the upper part of the casing 7 through the non-actinic screens 9 and 10. It will of course be understood that the cover 8 has been removed as the function of this cover is merely to protect the colored glasses 9 and 10 from injury. Should the plate show either too rapid or too slow development, suitable accelerators or retarders as the case may require, may be introduced into the apparatus, without exposing the plate to light, by unscrewing and removing the cap 14 and pouring the liquid into the tube 15; while this is being done the air previously contained in the apparatus will escape through the vent 30.

lVhen the development is seen to have proceeded to the proper stage, the lid 11 may be opened and the developing solution poured out, or the lid may be opened, the slide placed in position between the exposed plate and the open side of the plate holder, and the plate holder removed from the apparatus, this removal being accomplished slowly enough to allow the developer which is inside of the plate holder to drain out. If the plate holder is removed as last above mentioned, the plate is then removed therefrom and the usual supplementary processes of washing, fixing, etc. carried out in a manner which will be well understood by those skilled in the art; if, however, the developer is poured away from the apparatus as first mentioned theiplate may be washed,- fixed and otherwise manipulated while it still remains in the developing apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a casing provided with a sight opening having therein a plate adapted to prevent the passage of ac-tinic light, and provided with an opening for introducing a plate holder and means for closing said opening; of a plateholder provided with removable opaque slides; and means for securing said plateholder in said casing and holding the former out of contact with the latter except at one end.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a casing provided with a sight opening having therein a plate adapted to prevent the passage of actinic light, and provided with an opening for introducing a plate holder and means for closing said opening; of a plateholder provided with removable opaque slides; an opening adapted to permit the passage of fluids but to prevent the passage of light;

and means for securing said plateholder in said casing and holding the former out of contact with the latter except at one end.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a casing provided with a sight opening having therein a plate adapted to prevent the passage of actinic light, and provided with an opening for introducing a plate holder and means plate holder in said casing and holding the for closing said opening; of a plate holder former out of contact with the latter except provided with removable opaque slides; an at one end.

opening adapted to permit the passage of CHARLES DIEUDONNE WALDRON.

- fluid but to prevent the passage of light WVitnesses:

comprising a convoluted tube and a cap to AGNES L. CLUNE, cover same; and means for securing sald ANTHONY ARooINn. 

